The government cost of an employment-based green card
Choose the employer size and the family members who will adjust status to total the USCIS fees from I-140 to green card.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and past error
Employment green card, inside the U.S. (I-140 + I-485)
$3,645
Edition 10/07/26 of the USCIS fee schedule
| I-140 · Immigrant petition for a worker (usually paid by the employer) | $715 |
|---|---|
| I-140 · Asylum Program Fee | $600 |
| I-485 · Adjustment of status, age 14 or older | $1,440 |
| I-765 · Work permit with a pending I-485 | $260 |
| I-131 · Advance parole with a pending I-485 | $630 |
| I-693 · Medical exam form (no USCIS fee; the doctor bills separately) | $0 |
| Paid to USCIS | $3,645 |
| Total government fees | $3,645 |
How this was calculated
- Amounts from USCIS Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26, and the State Department fee page, read on October 13, 2026.
- Not counted because no agency sets them: the civil surgeon’s medical exam, translations, photos and any lawyer.
Estimate from public data, not legal advice. Your case may differ (cross-chargeability, CSPA, waivers). For advice, see a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative. Not affiliated with USCIS or the Department of State. Method and past error
An employment-based green card filed inside the United States costs $3,645 in USCIS fees for one worker when the employer has more than 25 employees and everything goes on paper: $715 for the I-140 petition, a $600 Asylum Program Fee, $1,440 for the I-485, $260 for the work permit and $630 for advance parole, under Form G-1055 dated 10/07/26. A petitioner with 25 or fewer employees pays a $300 Asylum Program Fee, which brings the same case to $3,345, and a nonprofit pays $0. Online filing where allowed lowers the larger-employer total to $3,495. A spouse and two children under 14 adjusting with the worker take the family to $9,655, because each person files an I-485 but the petition is paid once. A worker who takes the visa at a consulate abroad pays $1,895 instead.
Two halves of one bill
An employment case is really two filings. The first, the Form I-140, proves the job and the worker qualify; it costs $1,315 with the Asylum Program Fee for a larger employer. The second, the adjustment package, turns the approved petition into a green card for each person; a single adult filing the I-485, the work permit and the travel document spends $2,330. The two halves are often years apart, because in a backlogged category such as EB-2 India the I-485 can only go in when the priority date allows, while the I-140 can be filed once the labor certification, where one is required, is approved.
Employer size changes the total
| Petitioner | Asylum Program Fee | Total for one worker, paper |
|---|---|---|
| More than 25 employees | $600 | $3,645 |
| 25 employees or fewer | $300 | $3,345 |
| Nonprofit organization | $0 | $3,045 |
The fee follows the petitioner, not the worker. A start-up of twelve people and a university hospital may file the same EB-2 petition and pay $600 apart.
Waiting years after paying
Workers who file an I-485 on the Dates for Filing chart can hold a pending case for years. Their work permit and travel document renewals then cost $260 and $630 each time on paper, unless the I-485 was filed with its fee before April 1, 2024, in which case they cost nothing. Over a long wait these renewals can add up to more than the original petition.
Investors are priced apart
The EB-5 investor petition, Form I-526E, has its own fee of $3,675 in the same schedule, before any adjustment. See EB-5 for the queue.
Fees line by line, paper and online
| Form | What it is | Paper | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-140 | Immigrant petition for a worker (usually paid by the employer) | $715 | $665 |
| I-140 | Asylum Program Fee | $600 | $600 |
| I-485 | Adjustment of status, age 14 or older | $1,440 | $1,390 |
| I-765 | Work permit with a pending I-485 | $260 | $260 |
| I-131 | Advance parole with a pending I-485 | $630 | $580 |
| I-693 | Medical exam form (no USCIS fee; the doctor bills separately) | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $3,645 | $3,495 |